Olympiacos returns after five years to the top four of the men’s water polo Champions League. Tonight, the “red and white” won a dramatic victory over Barceloneta in Spain with 19-18 on penalties (regular match 13-13), for the 5th matchday of Group B of the “8” phase, and mathematically ensured their qualification to the final -4 of Malta. Terrible game from the celebrating Dino Genidounias, who scored five goals in the second half and two more in the penalty shootout, the decisive contribution of Manus Zerdevas, who replaced Bijats in the “Russian roulette” and saved two penalties.
It is noted that, after the two consecutive finals, in 2018 (when it won the trophy in Genoa against Pro Reco) and in 2019 (when it was defeated in Hannover by Ferencvaros), the Piraeus team was defeated twice in the quarter-final of the final-8, in 2021 and 2023, it was left out of the final phase in 2022, while in 2020 the event was interrupted due to the pandemic. Thus, the Greek champions return after five years to the top four and it remains to be seen which of Pro Reko or Novi Beograd will be their opponent in the semi-final on June 5.
Barceloneta started with 3/3 on the player above, but Olympiacos had the answers, with a goal from Nicolaidis on the counter and two goals on the above, so the first period ended in a draw (3-3). In the second eight minutes, after Toul’s quick goal from 2m, the defenses “tightened”, but the derby continued. The “red and white” equalized with Papanastasiou and could have taken the lead for the first time, but in the lob of Foundoulis, the ball found the post and… rolled over the goal line, without crossing it. The Catalans took the lead again with a powerful shot from Famera and in the final half they missed a great chance to make it +2 when Biel was unmarked by the player above but sent the ball onto Bijat’s post.
Two consecutive goals by Paviyard, halfway through the third period, gave the home team a two-goal “air” for the first time (8-6), but Genidounias reduced it with a very difficult goal, in the exhalation of an attack with a numerical advantage. Barceloneta managed to close the eight minutes with a two-goal lead (10-8), but two consecutive “lightnings” by Dinos Genidounias (who turns 31 today) brought the match into balance and essentially ensured at least the defense of the +3 of the first round . Sanaouha surprised Bigiats with a long shot, Alafragkis responded immediately (taking advantage of the fact that the Spanish defense had now adjusted to Genidounias) and Olympiacos went ahead for the first time with 12-11, thanks to a goal by Foudoulis from a player above, 4’19 ΄΄ before expiration. Famera equalized, but immediately after he was penalized by Nikolaidis and Genidounias “wrote” the score 13-12, for Bustos to level the match again, 1’27” before the end. Aguirre blocked consecutive shots from Vamos, Genidounias and Papanastasiou in the corner, but the gain for the “red and whites” was that precious time passed and the Spaniards failed to take advantage of the last seven seconds to find the winning goal.
Having already secured the point, which gave them a very big lead for qualification anyway, Olympiacos entered the penalty shoot-out process with less anxiety. Nick Porter, preferred in place of Unai Aguirre under the Barceloneta posts, saved a City penalty in the third, but soon after Zerdevas replaced Bijats and beat Laroube. Accurate shots from both sides followed, with Genidounias “writing” 19-18 and Zerdevas saving Sanauha’s penalty, giving the “red and whites” the two points of victory and allowing them to celebrate from today the qualification to the final-4.
The eight minutes: 3-3, 2-1, 5-4, 3-5
On penalties: 5-6
Referees: Dervier (France), Putnikovic (Serbia)
The compositions:
BARCELONA (Elvis Fatovic): Aguirre, Famera 3, Sanauha 4, Munarith 1, De Toro, Laroube, Pavyard 2, Powell, Towle 3, Perrone 3, Biel 1, Bustos 1, Porter
OLYMPIC (Hervo Kolianin): Bigiats, Lonsar, Vamos 4, Genidounias 7, Fundoulis 3, Gouvis, Gillas 1, Bouslie, Alafragis 1, Dimos, Nikolaidis 2, Papanastasiou 1, Zerdevas
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